Fifty-four years ago, a young woman and a young girl met on a large, clammy, empty soundstage to inspire a group of artists to create a masterpiece. The masterpiece was "Peter Pan." The young woman, Margaret Kerry, was the model for Tinker Bell, and the girl, Kathryn Beaumont, was both the model for and the voice of Wendy. And so two of Disney's enduring heroines were born.
Since "Peter Pan" is animated and Tinker Bell, for one, never speaks, readers might wonder why Margaret was there. However, the animators relied on film footage of live-action models shot on a soundstage to envision how the characters might look in various situations -- whether soaring over London, fencing ... or tumbling backward over an outsized thimble. Young Kathryn was already cast as Wendy's voice actress when animators decided she had the perfect look for the part as well -- Margaret was chosen for her mix of strong acting skills, sparkling personality, and classical dance skills.
We spoke to Kathryn and Margaret about their memories of...
... making the film, their encounters with each other, and about the experience of watching "Peter Pan" again, more than half a century later, on the occasion of its 2 Disc Platinum edition release on DVD, released March 6. The lavishly restored film has never looked better, and the special features will make anyone an expert on Never Land -- even "Tink" herself, according to Margaret. "I watched the extras on the second disc of 'Peter Pan,' and I didn't know three-quarters of that stuff! After I saw it, I felt like I was really in the know," she tells us.
Although their onscreen characters may clash, the actresses have nothing but the fondest memories of each other.
"She was a delight to work with, very sweet," says Kathryn. "Because I was a child, after I did a scene I had to go to a quieter place on the stage to do my schoolwork. I remember thinking -- she was very young -- 'SHE doesn't have to go to school!' She could watch what went on between takes. She was a great reader, and I remember her sitting there so involved in her book."
For her part, Margaret recalls "I was very impressed with Kathryn. I'm very perky and quick to dash off a joke, while she was reserved and ladylike. Kathryn was quite shy -- but her shyness was being a lady. She had the sweetest smile. In a way, I felt for her, because I know what it is to go to school on a studio lot, by yourself. It's very hard. I did it myself, from the time I was four years old."
Kathryn didn't get to watch what happened between takes, but she did get an experience Margaret missed -- she was airborne. "They hooked us up to wires, just as they did for the stage version of 'Peter Pan,' and then hooked us to the harnesses. Then they would hoist us up." Kathryn recalls with a laugh, "Most children would think it would be so much fun, flying around on this stage. But the stage is huge and very, very high, and I was in fear of being up that high and looking down -- it was a long way down! I had no experience with this sort of harness, but the people involved had me practice quite a bit -- they'd hoist me up a small amount then a little further, going in little baby steps. Finally I was up much higher, but by that point I was comfortable with it so it didn't bother me anymore."
Margaret, on the other hand, found herself off the hook. "They had this contraption with ropes up to the catwalk, and you were flat, strapped in on a little bodyboard. It didn't look safe at all!" she recalls. "And I thought 'I really don't want to do this.' But we came back after lunch that afternoon and director Marc Davis said to me, 'We aren't going to have you fly, because Tinker Bell darts, she doesn't glide.'"
Margaret and Kathryn were reunited to watch and discuss the restored version of "Peter Pan" at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre last February. After so many years, how did the film strike them? Says Margaret, "I wanted to run out and tell everybody, 'You've got to see this movie!' I had forgotten how delightfully funny it was. Many versions of 'Peter Pan' are rather dark, but this one is nothing but fun and happiness. Even the crocodile, which could have been really scary, is so funny that people in the audience were laughing at it! Only the Disney genius could do that."
Kathryn was struck by visual beauty of the restored film. "They've remastered the movie for the DVD, and it's so amazing how they've brought back the original, vibrant colors, and the film is so sharp. The sound is restored beautifully and you have this wonderful adventure story with these characters, and there's so much humor and fun in it. It's just a pleasure to watch it!"
Those characters have a great deal of the creativity and inspiration of Disney's legendary animators in them -- but also, a great deal of their real-life counterparts. Kathryn acknowledges "People often tell me 'that seems to be YOU on the screen.' And that's really a tribute to the artists!" And Margaret adds "I once went to lunch with Marc Davis and he told me 'You are still Tinker Bell.'"
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